MA Directing is designed for you to develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a director in today’s multi-faceted screen industries. Today’s director must be knowledgeable about industry, entrepreneurial, multi-skilled, and able to bring a deep understanding of story and performance in different contexts.

Through the programme, you will acquire advanced insight into the interpretation of scripts, visual storytelling, and working across a variety of screen platforms and industry contexts.

You will develop your skills in directing actors, learning about the director’s role as a leader and collaborator, and working to realise client briefs and audience expectations. You will learn to recognise the importance of diversity and progressive working practices in your approaches to content making.

Why Take the Course?

• Practical: Through hands-on exercises, workshops, seminars, masterclasses, and screenings, students will gain the practical skills and knowledge required to work as a director.
• Industry-facing: Work collaboratively with students on other MA pathways as a part of a creative crew to mirror industry practice on shooting exercises. Experience what it takes to deliver a project, and develop communication, negotiation, and project management skills.
• Real-life Experience: Learn the importance of working on a creative brief as a director while completing a project for an external company. Our students have previously worked with companies including Nespresso, Stonewall, Time out, DHL, HM Treasury, and Fender Guitars.
• Portfolio: Students have the opportunity to undertake a number of directing exercises, including a short-form project for an external industry client, and a final project.
• Professional tutors: Many of our teaching staff are currently working in the industry as: TV and film directors, first assistant directors, writers, and more*.

For a selection of the tutors who teach across our campuses, please see Our People.

Our outstanding academic credentials are recognised by leading higher education bodies. This course is recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills Select quality mark, which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries.